Le Stelle - The Story of Arcana Famiglia's Lost Sister
by Illusion of Dawn
Summary: After the events of the Arcana Duello, a woman called "Stella" appears, claiming to be the seventeenth card of the Tarocco. Oddly enough, she also reminds Jolly of his vanished little sister. Therefore, Mondo allows her to become a part of the family and finding out the true meaning of having closed a contract with the cards. - a story about love, family and friendship
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_She ran as fast as her feet could take her. _

"_Jolly! Jolly, wait for me!", she cried and stumbled upon her own feet as she ran up the hill._

"_Honestly", he sighed and went to his crying little sister. He held __out __his hand to her, smiling prettily. "Guilietta, I told you to go home already. I can't play with you today."_

_The little girl with the dark purple hair rubbed her eyes but the big tears kept on falling._

"_Come on, let's go home", he gently petted her head. "Together."_

_The little girl lifted her head and a pair of golden eyes like the sun glanced at him carefully._

"_You promise?", she asked._

"_Pinky promise", he said. The little girl rubbed her tears away and nodded shyly. As Jolly wanted to walk back, Guilietta grabbed onto his arm and pulled the fifteen-year-old back:_

"_Look, Jolly, so many ships!"_

_He turned around and saw that a dozen of ships sailed right to Regalo. And those weren't the kind of ships which would normally bring them goods from all over the world. Within a few seconds, he realized that something terrible was about to happen._

"_Guilietta!", he said and kneeled on the ground. "Jump on my back; we have to be fast now."_

_The little girl looked puzzled but seemed to be happy about this new game he started. She nodded with a smile and climbed on his back._

"_Hold on tightly!" He started running down the hill, back to the city._

_As they reached the busy market street, they still saw people happily walking around and minding their own business. "Quick! They are coming!", he called out but nobody seemed to __even __notice him._

"_Neh, who is coming, Jolly?", Guilietta asked from his back but he did not answer her._

"_Later", he gritted his teeth. "First we have to warn mother and father!"_

"_Warn them? But why?"_

_Jolly started running down the streets again. Even though Guilietta was still too small to understand what was going on, she felt that something was different. Jolly quickly jumped into one of the small alleys, as he suddenly bumped into somebody._

"_Sorry!, he apologized but looking at the person he bumped into, his face lit up. "Mondo!"_

_A big red-haired man stood in front of them, looking quite puzzled at this sudden encounter._

"_Ah, Jolly and Guilietta! You seem to be in a hurry", he smiled and petted little Guilietta's head._

"_Mondo! I've seen their ships! A dozen of them are coming! Quick, we have to warn the citizens!"_

_Mondo's smile froze immediately and he grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Are you sure?", he asked. "You didn't mistake them for something else?"_

"_No, I am absolutely sure!", Jolly answered sternly. "Please, you have to warn the others! I'm bringing Guilietta back home and warn my parents!"_

_But it was already too late. Before they could split up a loud - BANG - was to be heard, followed by several high-pitched screams. Looking up, they saw a big tube of smoke rising to the air._

_Jolly and Mondo exchanged a long sight before they departed. Jolly was running the alley along, trying not to slip or stumble upon his own feet as he hurried._

"_Jolly, what's going on?", Guilietta asked. _

_- BANG -_

_Now the time between the several shots seemed to shorten._

_Jolly heard the muffled sound of his crying sister behind his back. Sweat was running down his forehead as he tried to make his way through a group of screaming and panicking people._

_All his thoughts were locked on the imagination of their house. He increased his spead and run as fast as he could. There it was! His destination!_

_He opened the door. "Mother!", he screamed. "Father!" No response._

"_Jolly!", Guilietta cried desperately. "I-I want to mommy!"_

"_Yes, yes", he breathed heavily, looking around for something – anything - that could help him. He had to search his parents; he had to go back to Mondo and help him with anything he could. But first of all, he had to protect his little sister. But how? _

"_Jolly!"_

"_I know, I know!", he yelled and ran to a small cabinet. Carefully he let his sobbing sister down and tried to open the cabinet door but it was harder than it seemed to be. The screaming from outside pinched his ears and Guilietta wouldn't stop crying._

_- BANG -_

"_Jolly! I want to mommy!"_

_He gave it his all and was able to open it wide enough to stuff his little sister in there. He gently pushed her inside._

"_Jolly!", she cried, big tears running down her face. Her cheeks were all red; her tiny hands desperately clung to his arms. "Don't leave me alone!"_

"_Don't worry", he promised her. "Once it's all over I'm coming back to save you. I'm going to look for mother and father. You stay here and make sure to not cry anymore, okay?"_

"_But I don't want to!"_

_- BANG -_

"_It is a game, you know. If you don't make a sound until I come back, I'm going to give you as much candy as you like. See, it's all a game, right?"_

_She still sobbed as he closed the door but he was praying for her to follow the rules._

_"Jolly!", she still cried. He was about to turn around, going back inside again but another scream made him forget about his sister._

_Locking the door, he tried to make his way through the crowd. People were aimlessly running around, screaming, fighting and crying.  
_

_Eventhough he had spent less than a minute in the house, it still seemed to have been enough time for the situation to worsen. The smoke intensified and the smell of burned skin rang in his nose. It was a terrible, horrifying smell._

"_Jolly!", he heard somebody calling out his name. He quickly turned around and saw Mondo who was holding a big saber in his hands. His shirt was unbuttoned and he seemed to have already fought. "Quick, you have to do me a favor! Find the others and take them to me!"_

"_Understood."_

"_I'm going to fight them back at the market as long as I can."_

"_Have you seen my parents?", he asked desperately but Mondo just shook his head._

"_Don't worry, they'll be alright. Now, we have to help everyone else!"_

_So Jolly ran to all the houses but the intruders were faster. No matter where he went, all the houses were empty and full of traces of a battle. Blood marked the intruders' way and the city withered within a few hours. Jolly went all over the city but there was nobody to help them. Still there was no sign of his parents and the more demolished houses he saw; the more he worried about his sister. Would she be alright? Did his parents eventually find her?_

_With his last breath he went back to the market. From a distance he heard the clashing of swords and the strong scent of burned wood. Slowly, he made his way to the open place and saw Mondo fighting against one of the soldiers. Even he seemed to be tired but he could still manage to fight this one off._

"_M-Mondo…", he called and the tall man turned around. _

"_Jolly! Where are the others?" He ran towards the small boy. He could clearly see him being hurt. The marks of battle even signed his face already._

_But Jolly only shook his head and hold onto the wall on his left side. He had no strength to walk alone anymore. He was tired, hungry and most of all terrified.  
_

_Mondo gritted his teeth and looked down. He had never imagined this situation to worsen so fast._

_Suddenly the sound of many feet tapping onto the ground made them flinch. Instinctively, Mondo pushed both of them into a small alley and hid behind some barrels before a group of soldiers passed them._

"_Find and kill any member of the Arcana Famiglia!"_

_As they were out of sight, Mondo picked something out of his shirt. It was a small wooden box with little carvings on it. He still remembered the first time he ever opened it. Now, everything would finally pay off. With this, he could save Regalo and the future of this island. As he carefully opened it, Jolly knew what he was thinking. _

"_You're going to use it?", he asked. "The power of the Tarroco?" _

"_Yeah." Mondo's eyes were still locked on the wooden box. "The reason I established a contract with the Tarocco was for this."_

_Suddenly a blue light appeared and Mondo started screaming._

_The soldiers heard this scream and stopped immediately. Turning around they saw only one man standing behind them. The expression on his face was deadly. In the blink of an eye, he took the cards in his hands and threw them right in front of them. Like leaves, they danced through the air and circled him.  
_

_Before the soldiers could surround them, Jolly ran to Mondo and watched his back._

"_Jolly, move away."_

"_The safest place on this island is right next to you", he replied seriously._

"_No doubt", Mondo smiled._

_The soldiers lifted their guns, ready to attack._

"_Giurati Finalizzare!", Mondo yelled and the city was dipped into blood and smoke._

* * *

_He didn't have any more energy but he pushed himself forward. But as soon as he saw the door of his family's house being shattered he found the energy again to run inside. Only, to see the mess. Everything was destroyed. The tabled was turned over, broken glass was scattered all over the floor and everything which could have been of any worth was robbed. But that wasn't what shocked him the most. Looking to the small cabinet, he could see its door being forcefully opened. And inside was nothing but darkness._

"_Guilietta", he mumbled and still went to the empty cabinet. With his shaking hands he touched the cold wood. His fingers searched for a second wall, a secret button, anything that could have tricked his eyes but reality stared right back at him.  
_

"_You didn't save me, Jolly", he heard the voice of his sister behind him._

"_Guilietta!", he twirled, the colours of relief being pained on his face.  
_

_A little girl with blood running down her face stared at him. Her golden eyes were numb and lifeless._

"_You left me alone", she went on._

"_No, I didn't want to!", he yelled and his voice grew older. Before he realized it, he was around the age of thirty-five._

"_You never looked for me, Jolly!"_

"_That's not true, I looked for you everywhere!"_

"_You never cared."_

* * *

He startled in his bed, sweat running down his face. Immediately, he turned on the light and the shadows disappeared in his room. Everything that was left was the vast shadow in his memories. He was breathing hard as he grabbed his cigarettes and lit them.

The sweet smoke filled his mouth and he slowly breathed it out again. His heart finally slowed down. His mind produced more rational thoughts.

"You're still haunting me?", he asked himself and held his forehead. "Twenty years have passed since then and I still have these vivid dreams." He shook his head in disbelief and went to the window. With a gentle gesture, he opened it and let the cold night breeze soothe his pain.

"What a fool I am", he mumbled and ash fell to the ground.


	2. Chapter I Le Stelle

**Chapter I _ Le Stelle_  
**

„I want this!"

„Yes, what a fine taste you have, Miss! This is the best one we have in store." The shop keeper gave her a silver gun with small carvings on the metal. "Fast and deadly."

"Just how I like them", the woman smiled and put the money on the desk. "This would be all."

"Yes, Miss."

"Oh, one more thing…" She stopped at the door sill. "Where can I find the Arcana Famiglia?"

"Arcana Famiglia? They have their residence on top of the hill, Miss. Don't tell me, you're going to join them?"

"Yes, something like that", she smiled and waved her dark purple hair back.

* * *

"Would you please leave this establishment, you're too gloomy for my customers."

"I've already tried to cheer him up, Debito. But he wouldn't stop melting on his seat at the restaurant!", cried Pace.

"I don't care where he melts or not - but I don't want him to dirty my floor. The _signorinas_ wouldn't like that", the man with silver hair said and winked at a group of young women in the corner. As they giggled, he focused on his friend again who was nothing more than a puddle on the floor now.

"Luca, don't you have anything to do? Like making tea for _bambina?"_

"Shh!", Pace made. "That's exactly the reason for him being gloomy!"

"Huh? So _bambina_ finally told you off?"

"No, no. Mama told him to stop being her attendant", Pace waved. "He directly ran to the Princess to tell her but all she said was: _Isn't this great? Finally you can do what you want to do!_"

"That's Papa's daughter", Debito smirked.

"Always looking out for anyone else", Pace agreed.

"No", the Luca-puddle mumbled. "She is just happy to get rid of such a bad attendant as me. She is just protecting me. Princess is even better at protecting than I am."

"Nah, come on, Luca-chan. Think of it more positively! Now you have time to do all the things you always wanted to!"

"All I wanted was to be her loyal attendant until I die", the puddle sobbed.

"Then stop wetting my floor and be a man already! You don't want to upset _bambina_ with your gloomy face, do you?"

"Of course not!", Luca exclaimed and regained his old shape.

"That's more like it, Luca-chan!", Pace smiled. "Hey! Why don't you go back to the mansion and make me some limone pie? Doesn't that sound great?"

"No", he answered coldly. "But I could go and take a stroll around the market. I never really had time to take a look at all the different stores."

"I'm going with you, Luca-chan!", Pace threw his arms into the air.

"Wait up", Debito said and pulled a piece of paper out of his suit's pocket. "Dante told me to take a look at the _signorinas_ coming and going. Lately, people have been reporting a cat-like woman jumping from roof to roof."

"Sounds just like your type", Luca frowned. "Since when do you need an excuse for looking at women?"

"I don't need any excuse", Debito said, clicking his fingers. The group of women came out of the corner and joined his side, giggling. "Entertaining _signorinas_ is an honorable task of a true gentleman."

* * *

"Gentleman", Luca pounded as they left the casino while Pace took a look at the paper Debito gave him.

The sun was hitting the sea and made it sparkle a like a rare jewel. The streets were full of tourists and citizens who just wanted to do their shopping. It was a peaceful day. The seagulls cried above their heads and a soft breeze made the heat a little bit more pleasant.

"So, what does it say? I bet it is just some bigger cat scaring the citizens." Luca was investigating some tomatoes at a stand.

"I highly doubt that Dante would inform us about such a simple assumption. It seems like a couple of people have made the same observations", Pace kept on reading. "They all confirmed the sight of big golden eyes."

"This doesn't turn a cat into a human, Pace. I would like to buy some of these", he said to the shop keeper.

"Eh? You're buying tomatoes?" Pace looked at the big red vegetables. "You know that those are an ingredient for Lasagna?"

"Yes, I do."

"So you're making Lasagna!", Pace yelled and his mouth watered. A big grin appeared on his face, reaching from one ear to the other.

"I never said that I would make Lasagna. I just know that it is an ingredient!"

"Lasagna! Lasagna!" Pace started to dance on the streets, singing his favorite song.

Luca just took the plastic bag with the tomatoes and pretended like he didn't know him.

"Lasagna! Lasagna!" He followed him, drawing the people's attention to him.

"Ah!", Luca suddenly made and Pace nearly stumbled upon him. "I forgot to buy some lemons. Could you please go back and buy them for me?"

"You know that lemons are ingredients for a limone pie?"

"JUST GO!"

"Got it. Got it. Lasagna! Limone pie! Lasagna and limone pie! Hai!"

"Honestly, how can he eat so much?" Luca sighed and continued walking back to the mansion.

It had been some time since he would walk around the city without knowing what he would do in the next hours. Around this time, Felicità would be taking care of the documents in the office. Well, at least, that's what she ought to do. He decided to make her some tea and check up on her. After all, Mama just told him to stop being around her all the time. Making tea and having a nice chat wouldn't be considered as being an attendant, right?

He smiled at his new plan and was eager to look for the best tea leaves in the kitchen, as he suddenly saw a long black tail dangle from a tree right next to the mansion's gate.

_'A cat?'_, he thought. _'But that must be a pretty big cat for having such a long tail! Could it be that –'_

He instantly grabbed the black tail and pulled it.

"No!", somebody yelled but it was too late and a tall woman fell out of the tree right onto him.

"Ouch!", he muttered and slowly opened his eyes. He was lying with his back to the ground, holding a slim woman with dark purple hair in his arms. "Ah, I'm sorry!", he blushed and the woman pushed herself away.

"Are you hurt, Miss?", he asked while standing up. He held his hand out for her. "I'm really sorry."

"I-It's okay", the woman stuttered and looked right into his eyes.

_'Golden eyes!'_ The thought stroke through his head and he began to examine the woman a little more. Her dark purple hair was reaching to her hips and her bangs ended above her piercing eyes. The 'tail' was in fact just a long scarf the woman was wearing around her neck. On top of that, she was wearing a pair of blue shorts and a black hoody with little ears on each side. No wonder everyone would think of her as a cat-like woman.

But this wasn't actually something he had to be relieved of! This woman was obviously a suspicious person and was searched by Dante. Not to mention her loafing around the entrance of the mansion.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I want to make up for this and invite you to a restaurant."

"There's really no –"

"I insist on it! Please, Miss, this is the last thing I could do for you. Oh, or are you hurt? Should I bring you to a doctor?"

"No, I really am fine", she laughed awkwardly, holding her hands up in defense.

"Perfect", he said and gently pushed her forward. "Then let us go to the restaurant I mentioned!"

He wasn't actually planning on going on a date with a suspicious person but it was the only choice for him to capture her.

Just as planned, Pace couldn't resist going to the restaurant again to eat another Lasagna. But as Luca and the woman entered the restaurant, he even put his fork down and walked to them. Even if he was sometimes a little bit too ot-going, Luca could always trust Pace to do his job. And just like that, he also noticed the similarities to the reported woman.

"Hey, long time no see!", he acted. "We have to eat a Lasagna together one time. Okay?" He pretended to pass them but turned around - right behind her back - and flung his arms right around her body.

"Wait, what's going on?", the woman asked and blushed heavily at the sudden embracement. She tried to shake him off but Pace's arcana stigma, _La Forza_, began to gleam and she soon gave it up.

"I'm sorry, Miss. But there is somebody who wants to see you!"

* * *

"Let me finally go!", she yelled and Pace eventually let her go. She was stumbling forward but was able to keep her balance. Anxiously, she looked around. She finally managed to get inside the mansion but she never imagined being forcefully let inside. The room was filled with rich and luxurious furniture. In the middle stood a big wooden desk and a man, not less impressive, sat there and studied her face intensely. He was a big, muscular and tanned. Though he didn't seem to be that old yet, he was already bald. On his shiny head, she could see a big red mark. Her eyes immediately widened.

"Don't be afraid, Miss", the man said. Easier said than done. "Nothing will happen to you as long as you're innocent."

"Innocent? Wait, there must be some mistake going –"

"There have been several reports by citizens complaining about you loafing around the city at night. Every one of them reported you taking a high interest in the Arcana Famiglia. Also, a shop keeper told us you bought a gun lately and asking for the direction to this mansion."

The woman gritted her teeth.

"We would like to hear your side of the story, Miss", the man smiled innocently.

"It is right that I am in search of the Arcana Famiglia. I have bought the gun because I heard that this place was full of strong and powerful men. Please, believe me. I never wanted to cause any trouble for you."

"Then what is it that takes you to our family?"

"This." She loosened the black scarf around her neck so that a deep red mark was shown.

"_Le Stelle_", Dante mumbled. "The seventeenth card."

"Somebody told me that only you are able to tell me more about it."

"Since when do you have it?"

"I-I don't know", she confessed. "Since I can remember; it has always been there."

For a while silence filled the room. Dante was focusing the red mark on her neck and seemed to be lost in thoughts. Then he stood up and walked to the door.

"I'm going to discuss this with Papa. Pace, Luca – make sure that she doesn't escape."

"Escape?", she asked but before she knew it, the guy with the hat locked the door.

"Wait a second. What's going on?"

"Don't worry, we won't cause you any harm."

She flinched and felt her body already tense. If somebody ever used the term 'not causing any harm' then the chance was pretty high that there was a reason to be alarmed.

"We haven't introduced ourselves yet", the guy with the glasses said and touched her shoulder. Unfortunately, she misinterpreted this friendly gesture which resulted in her kicking his face. He stumbled and fell to the ground, not really aware of what just happened. Enough time for her to jump to the next window.

"Luca-chan!", the guy on the ground yelled and the man with the hat jumped after her. But she was faster. She reached the open window in time and gracefully swung herself out of… the first floor.

Fear painted the man's face as he saw her falling down. The woman screamed and waited for her body to reach the ground.

_'This is the end_', she thought. _'I should have stayed at home._'

Three feet above the ground she finally stopped falling and seemed to float in the air. Afraid, she looked around herself and saw hands, arms and legs slowly appear next to her.

"Seems like I have caught myself a little _micina_!" A deep, melodious voice rang in her ears and she flinched as she saw a tanned man with silver hair and an eye patch on his right eye. He was smirking at her and his golden eyes sparkled mysteriously.

"Debito!", the man with the hat shouted above them. "Don't let her go! We'll be there in a minute!"

"Don't worry", the man called Debito grinned. "I never let a _signorina_ go so easily."

Just now she realized he was wearing the same uniform as the other members of the Arcana Famiglia.

"Let me go!", she yelled and struggled in his arms.

"Calm down, hey!" Too late. She already freed herself and jumped out of his arms.

"Idiot!" She poked her tongue out at him and ran towards the gate.

"Naughty little kitty", Debito smirked and kneeled down, touching the red mark on his left ankle. Within a few seconds he was invisible again.

The woman ran towards the gate, highly aware of the two men following her. The man with the glasses as well as the guy with the hat was close on her heels.

"Stop!", they yelled. "Stop or we have to forcefully drag you back to the mansion!"

"I won't let you kill me!", she cried.

"Nobody ever mentioned something about killing!"

She turned her head around which caused her to lightly bump into somebody else. Automatically she looked up into a pair of sunglasses. "_Luna Piena Sonno_." Suddenly the world blacked out in front of her. Her body became light and she felt herself sink in.

"Jolly…", Luca breathed hard and kept his distance. "Dante is looking for her. We have to get her back to the mansion right away." He wasn't listening. "Jolly? Jolly!"

"He used his Arcana…", Pace said and pointed to the blurry golden eyes of the woman. She was clearly in a trance.

It only took a few seconds and Jolly was back to reality. Something seemed off about him but he only pushed his glasses up his nose and let the woman fall in Luca's arms. She was still in trance.

"What have you done to her?", Luca gritted his teeth.

"I've clearly prevented her from escaping. If I'm not mistaken this should actually be your task, right?" He smirked and passed by. "Don't worry. She'll sleep for only a few hours. Better bring her to the guest room, _La Temperanza._"

"Come on, Luca-chan", Pace gently put his hand on his right shoulder. "Let's bring her back to Dante."


	3. Chapter II Welcome, Seventeenth Card!

**Chapter II Welcome, Seventeenth Card!  
**

The door to Papa's office opened and Jolly entered the room.

"Jolly", Papa said surprised. "I'm sorry but Dante is discussing something important with me."

"And so am I, Papa", he said and placed himself at the table next to Dante. "I believe it is about that young woman."

"Yes, but how did you know that?"

"Let's just say I have already met her. Dante, would you please go outside? I have something to tell Papa in confidence."

Dante quickly exchanged sights with Papa but as even he nodded, the tall man had to stand up and leave the room.

"Excuse me", he said and shut the door behind him.

"It's quite unusually for you to act in this kind of manner, Jolly. Tell me, does something bother you?"

"That girl, Papa."

"Yes, L_e Stelle_. Of course we have to make sure if she's no deceiver. As you know there are many –"

"Guilietta, Papa."

Mondo stopped and bit his lips. "Don't tell me it is this girl."

"Of course I can't be sure about this yet. She accidentally bumped into me. Just seeing her eyes automatically activated my Arcana. Before I was aware of it, I found myself being inside of her memory. You know that I would not be here if she was just an ordinary girl."

"So you've seen her memories? Did you see yourself inside of her?"

"No, I haven't. However, I found something quite bothering me."

"And this would be?"

"I've only been a few moments inside of her memory but I could hear somebody call my name. It was the same call that keeps me awake lately. It is the way my sister called me as I left her alone. Despite this little fact, there are no memories of her childhood. And I mean none."

Mondo folded his hands before his mouth and stared at the wooden table.

"If she is truly your sister, than this means that she must have made a contract with the Tarocco after that terrible incident twenty years ago. However, this leads us to the question: Who is responsible for this? Libertà is the only one who joined this family by accident. So the chance of that girl being born with an Arcana is very low." Mondo sighed and leaned back in his big chair. "So, what do you suggest, _La Luna_?"

Jolly put his sunglasses down on the desk and rubbed his tried eyes. "You know the answer, Papa."

"So be it. Starting today, we have a new member of the Arcana Famiglia."

* * *

The sun was already setting, as she finally opened her eyes. The sweet scent of roses tickled her nose and the sound of tea cups being placed upon a table rang in her ears.

Slowly she became conscious of her surroundings and to her utter surprise she found herself lying upon a rich canopy bed. A soft white blanket nestled to her palms, the big pillow was fluffy as a sheep and the bed had enough space to let at least one more people sleep in it.

"You have finally awoken, Miss." A familiar voice took her by surprise and she looked up to the guy with the hat. Instinctively, she wanted to flee but he held her down. Not in a forceful way but in a rather well-intentioned fashion. "I am really sorry for scaring you like that. I don't want you to think of the Arcana Famiglia as a threat."

Gradually, she relaxed so that he could let her go.

"My name is Luca", he introduced himself. "May I know your name?"

"I-I'm Stella", she mumbled and pointed to the mark on her neck. "At least that's what people use to call me."

"I see", he smiled softly and turned around to a little table with two chairs on each side. Upon the table, there was a fragile yet beautiful tea set. "I allowed myself to prepare you some rose tea. Or do you prefer something else?"

"No, no." She directly shook her head. She felt uneasy being treated so nicely all of a sudden. Did they plan to tame her with that? Turn her into their marionette and then go for the final blow? All of these suspicious thoughts vanished while looking into his sapphire eyes. There she could see warmth but also a deep sadness. Somehow, it calmed her.

"Actually I never had rose tea before."

"I believe it will be to your taste. If not, I would be glad to prepare you something else." He held his hand out for her but she didn't yet trust him and stood up on her own. Taking a seat, Luca pour the amber tea in a cute pink cup. Gracefully he placed it before her.

All the while, Stella couldn't help but stare at his graceful and elegant manner. She had never seen anyone act as proper as him.

Luca caught her sight and became nervous all of a sudden. "Are you not being well?", he asked. "Do you feel uneasy?"

"No, no", she repeated. "I-I'm sorry." She shyly looked to the ground.

"I may be mistaken but I believe your attitude has changed quite a bit comparing to earlier." His expression stiffened. "Are you sure, you're not feeling strange?"

She wanted to nip at her tea but hearing this question, she wondered if it was really okay to drink it.

"Yes, I do feel fine", she confessed. "I-Is there any reason for me to feel uneasy? I don't remember coming to his room after all." She quickly put the cup back on the table.

"Oh no, don't worry", he assured her. "It's not like I have mixed anything in it."

"Then why are you being so nice to me? And why am I here? What happened to me that I don't remember falling asleep?"

"Well, those are a lot of questions", he coughed. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. Papa has decided to let you become a member of the Arcana Famiglia if –"

"A member?", she shrieked. "I never said anything about wanting to become a member!" She jumped out of her seat. "You didn't even ask me!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to know more about it?" He pointed to her neck. "The only way to fully understand what this mark means is joining the Arcana Famiglia. You might cause trouble for you and others if you don't know how to proper use your powers. Therefore you have to become a member. We might be the only ones who are able to save you before your Arcana goes berserk."

Everything he said seemed to be reasonable. Additionally, she had no place to go now. Not after what had happened lately.

"I got it", she said finally. "I agree only on one condition!"

"Yes?"

"I can keep my gun."

Luca laughed. "It would be dangerous without it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Don't worry, you will see soon enough."

* * *

"I-I'm not really sure if this fits me", she stuttered as she looked at her mirror reflection. She wore the female version of the Arcana uniform and Luca had assured her twice that every female had to wear it and was perfectly fine with it. "The skirt is so tiny", she mumbled.

"Don't worry. It doesn't expose anything. In fact, Felicità wears it, too. And I would never allow her to wear anything inappropriate!", she heard him say behind the door.

"Who is that Felicità you keep on talking about?"

"She is Mama and Papa's daughter. One day she might be the heir of the Arcana Famiglia!"

"You sure seem to like her if you are that concerned about her", she teased.

"Ah, well. That's because I am – no, I _used_ to be her attendant." Suddenly, his voice grew quieter. She could even hear the sadness dripping out of his mouth.

"May I ask you what happened?" Stella nervously pulled the skirt down but it was no use. Instead she tried to pull the black stockings up.

"She became old enough to take care of herself", he cried and hammered against the door. "Before I knew it she escaped out of my grip!"

"Ah, well", Stella laughed awkwardly. "I believe she must be as sad as you are now…"

"Nooo!", he cried. "She doesn't even caaaare!"

"Nah, nah", she made and opened the door. "I'm sure she cares."

Luca stared at her bewilderedly.

"I-It is too short, isn't it?", she asked and couldn't help but feeling awkward. "The boots are too much, right?" She looked down at her feet which seemed to be so far away in this outfit. Nervously she played with her bangs.

"No, i-it does suit you", Luca mumbled and quickly turned around before she could see his expression. "A-Anyway, Papa is waiting for you."

"I'm going to meet him?"

"Of course! You are a new member of the Arcana Famiglia. It wouldn't be right for you not to know anyone besides me." They walked down a long corridor filled with antiques and expensive-looking paintings. Looking around, she could often see figures or a portrait of a young woman with silky red hair tied to pigtails and piercing green eyes.

At some point, Stella noticed voices reaching her ears. Step by step, the voices grew louder and louder and as they reached a big stair case, she finally realized what Luca meant by _'not knowing anyone_'. Stella counted about fifty people standing in the big hall, eating and chatting. The atmosphere was happy, joyful and a little bit tense.

"W-What is this?" She couldn't believe it.

"This is our family", he said and pointed at the mass below them. "Now, come on. Mama and Papa are waiting for you."

"I-I don't know. This is too much for me."

"Don't worry, I won't leave your side", he smiled softly and held his hand out for her. "Believe me, everything will be alright."

Anxiously, she nodded and let him guide her to a tall man in a white suit and a beautiful woman in a pretty long dress. The man was a little bit smaller than the baldy but there was something about him that made him appear bigger and more powerful. His hair was of the same red as she had seen it in the hair of the girl on the paintings. He had combed them back which gave him that typical image of a rich man. His beard and eyebrows seemed to be the only part of his appearance which remained untamed. However, the woman to his left seemed to be Giaponese. Her silky black hair straightly flossed to her back while the bangs on her forehead only reached to her eyes. A white flower was tied to the upper left side of her head and harmonized neatly with her exotic white kimono. Around her neck, she wore a red ribbon choker.

As Luca was guiding her towards the two, Stella felt something strange happening as she looked into the man's green eyes. There was something like a reaction going on inside of her mind and she could directly remember the strong scent of fire.

"Papa, Mama", Luca said and stepped a little bit away so that both could take a glance at the new member.

None of them said anything. Stella still stared into the man's eyes who replied with the same stare.

Suddenly she felt a strong heat crawling up in her throat and spreading across her whole body. Then, it happened so fast that she was almost unable to understand everything that was going on.

_The smoke was unbearable. She heard laughter - but it wasn't human. She felt blood running down her neck. The ruby red liquid burned on her skin. Blind alley. The fire was getting closer and closer. It almost reached her legs. She tried to stand up. No use. Blind alley. No way out. Trapped._

Next thing she knew was her waking up out of something that seemed like a daydream. The man was still staring at her but she had the feeling that he had also seen the things she saw.

"Papa?", Luca asked nervously and Stella could hear the people starting to whisper.

"I'm sorry", he said and shook his head. "I just got lost in thoughts." Then he turned around to the other members of the family and spread us his arms like wings. "I hereby declare that staring today, we have a new member joining our little family. She belongs to the trump cards of the Tarocco. The seventeenth card, _Le Stelle_ –"

Luca quickly whispered something in Papa's right ear.

"Let us welcome: Stella!"

The others applauded. She wasn't really sure why but it seemed like everything had been settled just by that and now she was a member of the famous Arcana Famiglia. Still slightly confused, she looked to Luca who smiled at her sincerely.

"My, my, what a sweet child we have here." A female voice, obviously belonging to Mama, approached her and she turned around to see the beautifully lady smiling at her, too. "I hope you don't feel uneasy being the center of attention for now."

"I guess I can bear with it", she confessed. "I'm sorry but I still don't quite understand what this all means for me now."

"Don't worry", Mama smiled and her grayish-violet eyes narrowed. "You'll be learning by doing."


	4. Chapter III The Girl Who Kept On Asking

**Chapter III The Girl Who Kept On Asking**

"Let me introduce you to the others", Luca said and guided her to two familiar men. The one with the glasses from earlier was busy eating his body weight in fried chicken, while the guy with the eye-patch simply nipped at a glass of ruby-red wine. He was the first one to notice Luca and her.

"Pace, stop eating", he said and a grin appeared on his face as he saw Stella shyly looking to the ground.

"These are my childhood-friends: Pace and Debito", Luca pointed to the men and smiled. "I believe you already met them."

"My face met her", Pace mumbled and rubbed his cheek. "It still hurts."

"I'm sorry", Stella apologized. "I just got frightened, really."

Debito let out a loud laughter. "This is the first time I ever heard somebody complaining about Pace being terrifying." He approached her and took her right hand. Gently he kissed the back of it and purred: "It is always an honor to meet such a lovely _signorina_."

"Yes, yes. That's enough", Luca declared and freed her hand out of Debito's grasp.

"Do you know in which sub-division you're going to work?", Pace asked and helped himself another serving of fried chicken.

"Sub-division?", Stella asked confused.

"There a five sub-divisions in the Arcana Famiglia", explained Luca. "We have the _'Wands'_ which are responsible for inspections."

"I'm the head of the branch!", Pace cheeped happily chewing on the white bone like a dog.

"And then there are the _'Coins', micina_", Debito went on and proudly pointed at himself. "Of course I am the head of it. We are in charge of managing the finance on Regalo. And I would love to show you around our casino."

"Furthermore", Luca interrupted him. "We have the '_Intelligence Division_'. Dante is the leader controlling foreign affairs and diplomacy." He nodded towards the tall bald man at the buffet. "The division _'Cups'_ is being led by Nova who isn't around right now."

"They are responsible for the security in Regalo", a feminine voice said behind them. Turning around, Stella looked into a pair of piercing green eyes. That was the girl from the paintings.

"Princess!", Luca cried and tried hard not to tackle her in his love.

"My name is Felicità", the girl with the red hair said and smiled sweetly. "I am the leader of _'Swords',_ being responsible for interventions. Do you know everyone's Arcana yet?"

"Euh… no", Stella confessed and the girl's smile grew wider. "I have two Acranas: _Gli Amanti_ and R_ota Di Fortuna_! Come on, let me introduce to you to everyone properly!" She tugged her arms and ran away with her.

"Princess, no!", Luca cried and wanted to run after them but Debito quickly caught his neck and pulled him back. "Don't you see that our _bambina_ enjoys having a girl about her age around?"

"Eh?"

"Ah, that's right", Pace breathed happily. "Felicità always lived next to men. It must be great for her to have finally found somebody else to talk to. How old is Stella exactly?"

* * *

"I-I'm twenty-three", Stella said. She was still confused about how she exactly got into this situation.

"I'm seventeen!", Felicità smiled happily. "It's so nice to have another girl around here! So, let's begin!" She pointed at her father. "Papa has made a contract with I_l Mondo_, the twenty-first card of Tarocco. Mama is I_l Giudizio_, the Justice and the eighth card. Over there is Dante, _L'Imparatore_, the fourth card. Next to him is Libertà." She pointed at a young blonde boy with green eyes and a keen face. "_Il Matto_, the Fool. And over there is Jolly."

She looked to a tall man with black hair and sunglasses. He was smoking a cigarette and leaned against a wall aside from everyone else.

"He is Papa's advisor and made a contract with _La Luna_, the eighteenth card."

"Why is he standing alone?", Stella asked. Suddenly she got a strange feeling looking at him.

"He isn't that sociable but he is a good friend of Papa. Come on, let me show you my room and my owl pet!" Felicità grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

Stella turned back to the man one more time and their gaze's met. Shyly she turned around again and a smile appeared on Jolly's face.

* * *

The moon was shining bright that night and chased all the shadows away. The party finally faded away and Stella found a little bit of time for herself. She was still wearing her uniform and sat down on the window sill watching the stars above her head. Carefully she touched the red mark on her neck and lost herself in thoughts.

A knocking came from her chamber door so softly that she almost didn't hear it.

"Yes."

Luca opened the door, holding a steaming cup in his right hand. "Sorry for the interruption", he smiled and approached her. "I've thought you might feel too exhilarated to sleep, so I made you some hot milk."

"Thanks", she smiled and thankfully took the cup out of his hands. The milk was fuming and she could smell the sweet scent of honey.

"May I ask you what kind of impression you have now considering our family?"

She heavily blushed and hid her face in the cup. "Everyone is so nice", she mumbled into the milk. "I feel guilty for mistrusting you all at first."

Luca chuckled and leaned against the window frame. "It is normal to be aware of your surroundings", he said. "I believe it is better than blindly trusting anybody."

"You think so?"

He nodded. "Concerning your tasks here in the family, Papa told me that you should take your time and learn more about your powers. Otherwise it'll be heard for you. Which reminds me: Are you confident in holding a gun?"

"Yes. Where I come from, it is normal to be able to handle it." She promptly shut her mouth. "S-So, in which division are you, Luca?" She quickly tried to change the subject.

Luca frowned at her for a while. He was clearly noticing that she was hiding something but it would be no use going on about this now. He was tired and so was she. Additionally, he had his own secrets and he couldn't expect her to tell him her life's story.

"Actually, I'm in no division. I've been too busy helping the Princess coordinating her life lately. But that doesn't mean that I have wasted the past years!" He thought about it for a few seconds but then decided. "If you close your eyes, I will show it to you."

"What is it?"

"A surprise", he smiled. "But close your eyes first."

Stella hesitated at first but finally closed her eyes. It didn't take long and he asked her to open her eyes yet again.

"How pretty!", she breathed as she saw a small transparent ball appearing in Luca's right palm. It was shimmering blue and in its center something was burning bright enough to dip the whole room in a cozy light. "May I touch it?", she asked like a little child. Luca smiled and nodded.

Carefully at first, she tried to touch the surface of it but found her finger sinking right into it. "It's so warm and… cozy. And look at the center! It shines like a star, doesn't it? So pretty…"

While Stella was being fascinated by the ball, Luca couldn't help but smile at her childish behavior. Even Felicità already grew used to this sight but he was happy that somebody still could enjoy it. If he was honest to himself, he was even a little bit amazed by her. This girl now didn't reassemble the keen and strong woman he got to know at first. Her expression at this moment was softer and calmer. Thinking about it for a while, she only grew hostile and calm, the moment they caught her and showed her that they weren't about to harm her. And this was something he simply couldn't blame her for.

"I've never seen anything like this", she smiled. "Are you a magician?" She lifted her head and her eyes widened.

"I'm no magician", he laughed and scratched his chin. "I'm an alchemist. I'm afraid you wouldn't like it anymore after I told you how it works." "

No, this is so amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it."

"Who taught you?", she asked happily. "Could I learn something like this, too?"

"Well…", his expression stiffened at once and the smile in his face faded away. "Papa's advisor taught me but you shouldn't get close to him. Or even talk to him."

"But why?" Her mind went back to the lonely man with the sunglasses and the moment their eyes met. "His name is Jolly, right?"

"There are things that should just be accepted." Luca killed the ball in his palm so that only the moonlight could show her what was going on in his face. He was clearly stressed and also a little bit angry. She didn't know why but a strong feeling appeared in her stomach telling her that something just wasn't right.

"I'm sorry but it is already pretty late. I wish you a peaceful night." He went to the door without saying anything and shut the door behind him rather strictly.

"And there are things that should be explained", she added and closed the window.

* * *

The next day, Stella was up early. Earlier than she thought she would be but this didn't really matter to her. In fact, she was rather thankful. Now she could at least walk around the mansion and investigate on her own. Felicità told her that no ordinary members of the Arcana Famiglia were allowed to live in here. In fact this privilege was only enjoyed by the trumps, the Major Arcana cards of Tarocco. Since she seemed to have made a contact with _Le Stelle_, she was allowed to stay here as long as she wanted.

Nervously, she scratched her neck as she walked around the mansion. She was glad that she didn't accept the high-heeled boots and instead just took normal black lace-up boots. This already paid itself off. Quietly as a cat she could stroll around without anybody noticing her.

"Ciao, _micina_", she felt somebody breathing in her neck. She flinched and twirled around. A familiar yet different man was standing behind her. His tanned skin, his silver hair and the golden eyes reminded her of somebody but something was odd. It took her a few seconds but then she finally recognized him.

"Debito?", she asked and stared at his hair style. It wasn't held back by his eye-patch due to the fact that he wasn't even wearing it now. His silver hair smoothly fell over his right eye but she could swear that she saw something purple sparkling behind it.

He simply ignored the fact that it took her so long to recognize him and went on: "What are you doing so early in the morning here? Moreover, could there be any reason for you to sneak around my room?"

She looked past his shoulder and saw an open door not far away from her current position.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know your room was in this corridor." She stared at his unbuttoned shirt. "Sorry, for disturbing your sleep?"

"That's no good", he sighed. "A simple apologize won't let you off so easily. I guess you have to pay for this now, _micina_."

"Pay?" This didn't sound well so far.

"You have two alternatives: Helping me having good dreams or visiting me at my casino. So what is it?"

* * *

"This way, Miss", a tall man with silver hair and glasses told her. She was feeling uncomfortable at first, it was that kind of place she would have never visited on her own. Rich and luxurious furniture invited the guest to sit down and relax while spending all of their money in the casino. The walls were decorated with heavy satin curtains and expensive paintings. She totally felt out of place. The women wore elegant dresses – some of them exposing more than anyone wanted to see – and the men had put on their serious expressions. Perfect. She already started to hate it.

The tall man with the glasses – obviously part of the _'Coins'-_ led her to a small table where Debito was happily flirting with a bunch of women.

"_Micina_", he said and waved the women simply away. "I knew you'd be coming."

"I don't want to make myself enemies just by waking them up", she said blankly. "So, I visited you." She looked around. "It's so formal in here."

"Finances are a formal business after all. Of course, a casino is all about pleasures, too."

"No wonder you're the head of the _'Coins'",_ she teased.

"What a sharp tongue you have, _micina_", he smirked and kissed a stray of her violet hair.

"Money, fame, women – isn't it tiring?", she asked unimpressed. "Well, I guess you have to really like it in order to work here."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk", he made. "You're misunderstanding something. Have you ever been in a casino before?"

She shook her head which only made him smirk more. "That's exactly what I've thought. Why don't you try it for once?"

"Gambling?"

He nodded. "

No, you just want my money", she laughed dryly.

"Then why don't we make this more interesting? I don't want your money. If you lose you're going to join the _'Coins'."_

"And what if I win?"

He smiled. "What about going on a date with me?"

She crossed her arms in front of her face. "No, thank you."

"Just kidding", he laughed. His sight fell upon the mark on her neck. "But I would love to know what kind of power lies within you, _micina_."

"Concerning that…" Stella's hands instinctively went to her neck. It was a habit that she grew accustomed to during her life. It was like a protection making the mark invisible so that nobody would dare to stare at her. "Is there any way for me to find it out?"

He looked at her dumbfounded. "You don't know it?"

"I-Is that so strange?", she blushed.

"It depends. How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"Hm that might be inconvenient." He held his chin between thump and trigger finger.

"It is?" Now she grew anxious.

"Hm", he still made. Then he balled his hands to a fist and slammed it on his other hand. "No! I love older women anyway."

Her face hit the desk. "This has nothing to do with it!"

"Don't worry your pretty little head, _micina_. It takes time finding out your true powers. Though it really surprises me, you haven't found it out yet. This means it's nothing which is evident. It's such a pity. I would love to help you find out your Arcana powers but I sadly have to work."

She watched the whispering women out of the corner of her eyes. "Yes, it's such a pity", she hissed. "Well, I better let you work then. I have my health check in a few minutes anyway."

"Health check? Are you sick, _micina_?"

"No but after I met you I ran into Jolly. He told me that it was necessary and that everybody-" She couldn't even finish her sentence. Debito slammed his fist so hard on the table she thought the solid wood was about to burst. His expression darkened and he was gritting his teeth like an angry dog.

"E-Everything okay?", she asked and looked around. He gathered quite an attention by doing that.

"I forbid you to get to him any closer!", he yelled and Stella's eyes widened. Quickly, she caught herself and the surprise she felt was displaced by anger and frustration.

"Well, it's none of your business with who I get close or not!", she grumbled angrily. "In fact, why should I even bother taking distance?"

"There are things you simply shouldn't ask, _signorina_", he sharply hissed. His eyes were gleaming deadly and an unknown yet familiar feeling grew inside of her heart. She suddenly thought of blood like she had thought the first time she looked into Papa's eyes.

"But I am asking!", she mumbled confidently. Her fists clinched but she couldn't look into his eyes right now. She rather stared at the floor like a little girl trying to stand her ground. It was so embarassing. Why did everybody treat her like that? She was no little girl anymore. She could handle a gun and she had seen much more than anybody else around her age. Damn, she was an adult!

"Do whatever you want!", he yelled and left the casino in a hurry. A lot of people – especially women - watched him and Stella could feel the heat burning in her face. She never wanted to make people angry. Neither Luca nor Debito. But why didn't they tell her the truth? Was it because she was the new girl and they didn't trust her yet? Or was it just because she was a woman and they wanted to protect her? Either way, she didn't want to accept it.

And this only left her one alternative**.**


End file.
